This invention relates generally to suction or vacuum cleaners, and more particularly to a novel and improved mounting structure for removably mounting disposable dust bags on such a cleaner.
It is well known to provide disposable dust or filter bags for vacuum cleaners. Such bags are usually formed of a porous paper and define a chamber in which dust and dirt are collected. When such bags have been used, they are removed and the bag and the dirt contained therein are discarded.
Because such bags are only used once and are discarded when full of dirt and dust, they must be economical to produce and market. However, the bags must be sufficiently durable to permit them to be installed and removed without damage. They must also provide a connecting and sealing structure for connecting the bag to the air discharge of the cleaner (typically a connector such as a hose-coupling) which is easily installed and which provides a reliable seal so that all of the air enters the filter bag.
It is known to provide such disposable dust bags with an inlet including a substantially rigid collar, formed of cardboard or plastic, and an elastomeric diaphragm which engages and provides a seal with a connector of the cleaner.
An example of a disposable dust bag mounting system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,847, which discloses a mounting structure providing a rigid cardboard or plastic collar and a plastic diaphragm secured to the body of the dust bag around the inlet opening therein. The collar is provided with an opening having an enlarged portion which is sized to pass over a rib which extends around the end of the vacuum cleaner connector. The collar opening also provides a portion of reduced size which fits behind the rib when the collar is shifted laterally to the mounted position. Because of the shifting movement required, the collar must be relatively large. Also, because the diaphragm tends to lock the collar in the mounted position, the removal of the bag after use can be difficult.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,432 describes a bag which is inserted onto the connector in a mounting and removal orientation and then rotated to a locked or mounted orientation. Thus, in each of the described structures, the mounting action must be followed by a separate rotational action in order to put the collar of the bag and the hose coupling of the cleaner in a locked or mounted installed position relative to one another. Both structures thus suffer from the absence of an automatic locking means which releasably secures both the collar and the connector together in a locked or mounted installed position simply by inserting one upon the other, without any separate subsequent locking action.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable dust bag for a vacuum cleaner which is installed on, maintained on and removed from the connector without relative rotation of the connector or dust bag collar.
Another object is to provide such a dust bag with a collar which is automatically releasably locked in the installed position upon mounting on the connector, without any subsequent relative rotation or lateral movement of the dust bag collar relative to the connector.
A further object is to provide such a dust bag which is easily installed, provides a reliable seal, and is economical to produce and market.
It is also an object to provide a vacuum cleaner and a mounting system for such a dust bag.